Thoughts on Club Mobay??

Hey all! Heading to CSS in March and wondering if club Mobay's departure/Arrival package is worth it. We're thinking mostly to skip the lines. I haven't been to Jamaica in 15 years but remember long immigration/customs lines back then. Anyfeedback would be appreciatd.

Hi Jeff! We used the Arrival/Departure package in December and it was soooo worth it! Several planes landed when ours did and the regular Immigration line took about 90 minutes and we were through in about 5 minutes! There was also a line at Customs and we were fast-tracked there as well. I would highly recommend the service. To help you decide if you want to purchase the package, you can check websites like flighstats.com to check how many flights will be landing at the same time as your flight.

We used it both ways. It was definatly worth it for us as we traveled over the Xmas holiday though I am not sure I would use it any other time. They had separate lines for the club mobay people. Never made it to the lounge due to the crowded airport
The Lines checking in on the return were crazy.

We used the departure service and enjoyed it just for the comfortable lounge. There wasn't a line when we departed (So no time saving), but when we got to the lounge it was really worth it. There is an adults only area with comfy chairs; big screen TVs and great snacks.

thoughts...

Originally Posted by JeffAsh

Hey all! Heading to CSS in March and wondering if club Mobay's departure/Arrival package is worth it. We're thinking mostly to skip the lines. I haven't been to Jamaica in 15 years but remember long immigration/customs lines back then. Anyfeedback would be appreciatd.

I just returned from an amazing week at swept away. We arrived in Montego Bay, there were other planes there, not sure of how long, however in looking at arrivals, there were several at that time. we had no wait at immigration and 1 group ahead of us at customs. Arrival service would be a total waste of money.

Upon leaving, the longest line was checking into the airline. The line at immigration seemed to be long, but in reality took 15 minutes. Security about 20.

I used the money I would have spent at Club MoBay on Blue Mountain Coffee. But to each their own. Have a great vacation.

We just returned from a trip to CSA and had midweek arrivals and departures. We purchased the Club MoBay service for the trip home because it was MLK Day and we thought it might be a busier travel day. For us it was a big waste of $60. There was literally no wait at Immigration or Customs on arrival. For departures, the security line was only 3 people deep. You still need to stand in your airline's check-in line, no matter its length. We only got to spend 45 minutes in the lounge because we were told to report to our gate more than an hour in advance for a document check and the gate was at the opposite end of the airport as the lounge. By the time we waited in the document check line, there was no time to return to the lounge. I might consider it for a weekend departure, but will take my chances again mid-week.

We flew out New Year's Day and bought the departure lounge tickets. It was completely worth it. The line to get through immigrations and security was at least an hour long. We were through all of that in less than 10 minutes. The lounge was really nice too. I got some free redstrip and free beef patties, along with some other food and snacks for the plane. The internet was really fast and the seating was extremely comfortable. $60 isn't going to break us so we would do it again in a heartbeat. I realize we paid for the beer and food in the ticket price, but not having to whip out the wallet for a drink made me feel like we were extending our vacation a little bit.

We used Club Mobay arriving Saturday Jan 19 and departing the 26th. It was amazing! Worth every penny! I have posted a review on TA that should be visible shortly. If you are travelling on a weekend or during the really busy seasons do not hesitate buying this VIP service.

We arrived on Virgin Flight from UK on 13 Jan. From time aircraft doors opened to Couples Arrivals Lounge was 20 minutes. No lines anywhere just walked straight through Immigration and cases already on carousel by the time we reached baggage hall. So Club Mobay would not have made a difference.
On return used Club Mobay as we get it for free! Made no difference through Immigration and Security as no lines, but the Lounge was useful as we were able to get some nice snacks and relax before the long flight back to UK. If we had to pay would only consider buying for the return as no time would have been saved on arrival and no requirement to use lounge.

We arrived on Virgin Flight from UK on 13 Jan. From time aircraft doors opened to Couples Arrivals Lounge was 20 minutes. No lines anywhere just walked straight through Immigration and cases already on carousel by the time we reached baggage hall. So Club Mobay would not have made a difference.
On return used Club Mobay as we get it for free! Made no difference through Immigration and Security as no lines, but the Lounge was useful as we were able to get some nice snacks and relax before the long flight back to UK. If we had to pay would only consider buying for the return as no time would have been saved on arrival and no requirement to use lounge.

You Brits are lucky to be travelling on a Sunday! Glad to hear you made it home safe and sound and really hope you enjoyed your entire vacation. It was great to see you both again!!!

We used the departure last summer on our way home. It did go much faster but we only had about 20 minutes in the lounge as our airline was at the other end of the airport. I think they need to put another lounge at the end of the airport, so there would be 2 of them. With that said I don't think it's really worth it unless you flight is delayed.

We are arriving Friday March 29th around 11:30 AM and are contemplating using the arrival service. This is the time we typically arrive and at times the lines have been very long yet last year we walked right through. Any thoughts?? CSA soon come.

For the arrival service, it depends upon the day you are arriving. We traditionally travel on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, which are the quiet days, so I cannot comment about the arrival service.

You can buy the departure tickets at the resort and charge them to your room. They are $30.00 each, and in mu opinion very much worth it.

When we left last week, we were able to walk straight through with no wait straight to the departure lounge. In the lounge it is a nice relaxing environment where you can sit comfortably with free wi-fi, get a lunch (much improved from last year - patties, soup, sandwiches etc), and a final refheshment to close out your vacation.

We used the arrival service a few Fridays ago. Arrived at 2.30 and were in Couples lounge by 3.00.
Line up was up the ramp. I would not hesitate to use it again. As for departure service there were no real line ups
but it was nice to sit in the lounge. It was the end of March break so wasn't sure how busy airport would be.
I would probably use the departure package again.

We used both arrival and departure services when we arrived on a Sunday afternoon in January and left on Friday morning. Arrival was nice but probably not really worth it. It probably only saved us 10-15ish minutes. It was, however, awesome for departure and well worth the money. Just being able to sit in a quiet room instead of being out in the hustle and bustle was worth it, IMO. The food and drinks were nice too.

We just returned from a trip to CSA and had midweek arrivals and departures. We purchased the Club MoBay service for the trip home because it was MLK Day and we thought it might be a busier travel day. For us it was a big waste of $60. There was literally no wait at Immigration or Customs on arrival. For departures, the security line was only 3 people deep. You still need to stand in your airline's check-in line, no matter its length. We only got to spend 45 minutes in the lounge because we were told to report to our gate more than an hour in advance for a document check and the gate was at the opposite end of the airport as the lounge. By the time we waited in the document check line, there was no time to return to the lounge. I might consider it for a weekend departure, but will take my chances again mid-week.

Same experience with us - we only did departure, but our arrival we were in the lounge in 20-30 minutes tops. For departure, we thought it would be great, but all it did was confuse everyone. There was no line at all, anywhere. No one could understand why we wanted our special line!

Having the lounge was great though. The noisy side has some good history/culture to absorb and tvs. The quiet area was good for relaxing. But the food, particularly after having been at Couples was really very bad. And drinks were only tolerable.

If you are looking to skip the line on a midweek departure as the main reason to purchase, I'd pass.

Just got back from CSA and did both the arrival and departure, both on Thursdays, arriving at 1pm and departing at 2pm. We both agreed that unless it was a holiday or weekend, we won't purchase the passes again. The staff and lounges were great, it just didn't end up being worth it for us personally.

Regarding our arrival, even though 12 other flights were due to arrive within 1/2 hour of us (before and after) there were literally no lines anywhere so we didn't save any time and thus the pass wasn't worth it for that reason. The lounge was great though and is right beside the Couples lounge. It has comfortable seating, a bathroom, and great snacks and drinks. It was a nice way to start our vacation!

When it came time to depart, again there were no lines, except for the airline which the pass can't help with. Also, by the time we did our airport shopping for coffee, etc, we had only about 30 minutes or so to spend at the departure lounge. It's located next to gate 9 and our gate was at the other end of the airport so we had to leave almost right away. Couples has you leave for the airport 4 hours before your flight, which is plenty of time to get you there for your flight but may not allow for much time in the lounge as in our circumstance. If you have no shopping to do, have a long layover or flight cancellation, etc the lounge would be well worth it. It's a great place to relax in comfort and have a drink or snack. I almost wished we had more time to spend there!

So that was our experience. Again, as others have said, I think the day of the week/holiday, is key.